Her Fears
by powerofthepen123
Summary: There aren't many fics about Professor Rotwood's Thesis. This story is from the PoV of Trixie and her emotions during two crucial points in the episode as she discovers something incredibly important about one of her two favorite boys.
1. Of the Big, Scary Red Thing in the Alley

"We could try back street turtle racing…" Spud offered, trying uselessly to comfort Trixie.

The girl in question sighed. Trixie's boys were like protective big brothers to her, and had been since they were all just little kids. She loved them to death. But right now, they couldn't do much to help her.

Her mom would be heartbroken over that vase…

"Spud," she snapped, unwilling to be vulnerable, "No more schemes. I need money. Cold hard cash, and it ain't gonna just fall out of the sky…"

Ironically, at that moment something did actually fall out of the sky.

Trixie resisted the urge to scream in terror as she and Spud stared at the unconscious creature. Was that…an oversized lizard?

About seven feet tall, it was scaly, red, and frightening. And it had wings. No, not a lizard.

It…no. There was no way. That couldn't be…there was no such thing…

"Whoa, that is one big lasagna. Maybe I'm dreaming…or maybe you're dreaming. Hey! What are you doing dreaming about me anyway?" Spud joked, obviously trying to hide his own fear of the beast.

Trixie stared at the dragon. This was a fairy tale creature, something that could kill her and likely would the moment it woke up. But she couldn't run; this was like a train wreck. You couldn't just look away.

Fighting to keep the tremble out of her voice, Trixie asked half-rhetorically, "Is it dead?" She knelt next to the monster and rapped it on the head, then moved back in fear. Oh, she was _so screwed._

Spud moved closer to it and wrapped his yo-yo string around its upper jaw, and Trixie desperately wanted to warn him. "It's still breathing," he commented, as fire shot involuntarily from the dragon's mouth. "Breathing fire!" Fire spurted from its butt, and offhandedly Trixie wondered if that was painful. "Out of both ends!"

"Big, scaly, and breathing fire," Trixie murmured, not wanting to say what both teens were thinking. She pulled a certain wrinkled-up flyer from her pocket. Spud stared at the flyer, then at the dragon. Flyer, dragon, flyer. Yep. It was a dragon.

Now, how to get it to Rotwood's place without getting eaten…

Trixie regarded the dragon warily, fearfully. It was a good thing this dragon was unconscious, because otherwise that would have been impossible.


	2. Of the Consequences of Selling A Friend

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**American Dragon: Jake Long; **_**if I did, there would have been a third season.**

Spud leaned back on Jake's desk, accidentally pushing the mouse with his butt and making a window load on the screen of his computer. "Maybe he robbed an art museum…" (**A/N: I don't remember exactly what Spud said here, and it's not really all that important anyway)**

Trixie shushed her friend and gaped at the monitor, eyes wide as she struggled to process what she was seeing. "Spud, look…" she kept her voice low, not wanting to get Haley's attention. They did _not _need a super-smart seven-year-old involved in this.

Spud obeyed and looked at the monitor. There was a series of pictures, showing Jake with his body surrounded by fire, and then…Jake as the dragon…but how…?

"The dragon ate Jake?" the teen genius asked, puzzled. "Man, what a way to go."

Trixie shook her head, exasperated and scared. "No, Spud! Look at this! The dragon didn't _eat _Jake, the dragon _is _Jake!"

Spud looked again, now weirdly fascinated yet horrified (not by the idea of Jake being a dragon, but by the idea of what they'd done). "What does it mean?" The look in his eyes said he knew, but he didn't want to believe it.

Trixie cringed, knowing she'd have to face it sooner or later. Guilt over her actions settled into her. And fear. So much fear, not of Jake himself, but of having to look him in the eye, knowing what she'd done. And worse…she blinked back tears. Now was _not_ the time to cry.

What would happen to Jake now? Humans, in her experience, tended to hate anyone different. And when they hated something, they destroyed it. Destroyed _him. _

She didn't know exactly how powerful dragons were, but she _did _know Jake. And Jake was completely gentle. Kind of an idiot at times, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. He didn't deserve this.

He'd probably be torn apart by scientists or….or what if dragon slayers still existed? They wouldn't think of Jake as the big brother Haley Long obviously adored, or the loyal friend who'd sacrificed a hard-earned talent show trophy for Spud, or the sweet, endearing guy who'd been willing to help her raise seven hundred dollars just to make her and her mom happy, or the devoted son Mr. and Mrs. Long had raised and loved. They'd think of him as something that needed to be killed.

Trixie forced herself not to get sentimental. She couldn't afford to waste time here. But she had to face it. "It means we just sold our best friend to Rotwood for cash."

She and Spud exchanged guilty glances. If Jake died from being experimented on or whatever else he'd end up being subjected to, it would be their fault.

Trixie knew she had to do something. She couldn't go to the police; what was she going to say? "Yeah, we just sold a dragon and found out it was our best friend?" Um, no.

No, Trixie and Spud would have to handle this themselves. Even if Jake never forgave them for what had happened, they had to at least try to save him.


End file.
